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Product review: Slendier pasta sauce
Slendier pasta sauce is the perfect complement for their bean pasta. Find why this is currently the only pasta sauce I’ll buy in a jar. Slendier pasta sauce The Slendier range of pasta sauce is organic, low in energy and low in carbohydrates. All of the flavours are dairy-free and vegan. In addition, most are gluten-free. The sauces come in glass jars containing 340g, suggested to be enough for 4 servings. The current available flavours are: Basil & Tomato Eggplant & Zucchini Artichoke Red Capsicum Capers & Olives Lentil and Mushroom Vegan Bolognaise Tomato, Vegetable & Chilli Slendier pasta sauce is available in the health food section of supermarkets (check…
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Recipe: Roasted pumpkin and sweet potato soup
This roasted pumpkin and sweet potato soup is an easy meal packed with Southeast Asian flavours. If you roast the vegetables in advance, you can put it together in no time on a busy weekday. Both pumpkin and sweet potato are a good source of beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A) and also contain potassium, dietary fibre, among other micronutrients. This soup is gluten-free and dairy-free. It can be made vegetarian/vegan by substituting the fish sauce for salt or soy sauce. As always, make sure you are adding some protein to make it a more satisfying meal.
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Product review: Hart & Soul broth soups
Hart & Soul broth soups are a great source of nourishment for the colder months of the year. They are low in calories and shelf-stable. Hart & Soul broth soups The million dollar question is: are these broths or soups? Well, they are soups made with broth. Don’t think about them as your typical minestrone or chicken soup, though. They contain vegetables but are mostly broth. These soups come in 350g pouches containing 1 serve per pouch. They are available in major supermarkets and come in 3 flavours: beef, chicken and vegetable. Hart & Soul broth soups are low in energy, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat and relatively low-carb. Ingredients As you…
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Recipe: Niçoise salad
Niçoise salad, or salade niçoise is a classic French dish quite popular worldwide. It originated in the city of Nice, in the Southeast coast of the country. There are several ways of making niçoise salad and I won’t claim mine is the right one (especially because I’ve never been to France!!). My recipe is simple, cheap, nutritious and delicious. Salade niçoise is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, high in protein and moderate in carbohydrates. It’s also pretty filling thanks to the protein, fibre and healthy fats including omega-3 from the tuna and monounsaturated fats from the olives and extra virgin olive oil.
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Product review: Slendier konjac pasta and rice
As its name implies, Slendier is a brand of food products designed to help with weight loss. Slendier konjac pasta and rice come in different styles to suit your culinary needs. What is konjac? The dictionary tells us konjac is “the swollen underground stem of a herb that grows in parts of Asia and is often used for adding fibre to food, or the herb itself.” (1) Konjac is very low in carbohydrates and very high in a type of fibre called glucomannan, which is linked to several health benefits, including appetite control and digestive health. Slendier konjac range All Slendier konjac pasta and rice style products come in 2-serve…
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Plant-based burgers
Plant-based burgers are becoming more available in Australian supermarkets and fast food chains. Read on to find out which burger options are out there, what are their ingredients and their nutritional breakdown. Plant-based vs vegan It is common to use the terms “plant-based” and “vegan” interchangeably. However, plant-based does not necessarily mean vegan. Instead, it means that is predominantly vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and other plant foods (you can argue here if this is to be determined by volume, weight or energy percentage). Vegan means no animal products whatsoever. Having said that, most food products that are advertised as “plant-based” are actually vegan. The interest in both terms has experienced…
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Product review: Orgran Sugar-Free Cereal
Orgran Sugar-Free Cereal is a good alternative for those looking for a mostly allergen-free breakfast cereal alternative, which is, in addition, free of added sugar. The brand Orgran is a brand of gluten-free products founded back in the 1980s. Their range include baking and cooking ingredients, biscuits, breakfast products, crispbreads, dessert mixes, pasta and snacks. Orgran Sugar-Free Cereal The breakfast range of Orgran products include 2 sugar-free cereals: matcha & coconut and acai & coconut. Both are free of dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts, soy, yeast and, of course, sugar. They do not contain GMOs or MSG and are, in addition, kosher. These cereals come in 200g boxes, with a…
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Oat milk comeback
Oat milk is back! I probably tried it for the first time 10-15 years ago. The oat milk comeback is evident now that coffee shops have it on display and/or announce it on the blackboard. Oat milk comeback evidence I used the trusty Google Trends to check how interest in oat milk has changed over the past 5 years. Worldwide, interest has increased in the past few years. The first peak in the graph below is from January 2018, with another big peak in January 2019. In Australia, however, there are a lot more peaks and valleys, the first of which in the past 5 years happened on January 2015.…
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5 easy vegan swaps
Last week we spoke about red meat, eggs and dairy, but what if you choose not to eat any animal products? The following 5 easy vegan swaps can help you navigate this style of eating. 1. Yoghurt These days there is a wide variety of dairy free yoghurt in supermarkets. These are generally made with coconut or almond milk. However, note that the flavour, texture and, most importantly, nutrient content are not the same as real yoghurt. 2. Parmesan cheese Probably the most popular hippie health food is nutritional yeast. This is because it has an umami flavour that helps fill the void left by the absence of cheese, especially…
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Peanut butter alternatives
Peanut butter is a very popular food worldwide. However, peanuts are one of the major food allergens, affecting approximately 1 in 50 children and 1 in 200 adults (1). Fortunately, those not affected with other nut allergies can enjoy peanut butter alternatives available in the market. Why choose peanut butter alternatives Below are a few reasons why you might avoid peanut butter and choose something else: As mentioned before, peanut allergy is the main reason why someone would choose alternative products. Keep in mind that someone with peanut allergy is 25% more likely to be allergic to other tree nuts (1). Disliking the taste or texture. Believe it or not,…
